Helleborus plant named ‘HGC Merlin’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘HGC Merlin’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; dark green-colored leaves; attractive dark purple-colored flowers; and relatively early flowering.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Helleborus orientalisHybrid cultivar HGC Merlin.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHelleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus orientalis Hybrid, andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name HGC Merlin.

The new Helleborus is a product of a planned breeding program conductedby the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breedingprogram was to create new Helleborus cultivars with a good plant habit,that flower for a long period of time, and have attractive flowercoloration.

The new Helleborus originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in January, 1999 in Glandorf, Germany of an unnamed seedling ofHelleborus orientalis Hybrid, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with an unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis Hybrid, notpatented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Helleborus wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within theprogeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment inGlandorf, Germany.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions at Glandorf,Germany since March, 2001, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Helleborus are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar HGC Merlin have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light level without,however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘HGC Merlin’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘HGC Merlin’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofHelleborus:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   3. Attractive single dark purple-colored flowers.    -   4. Relatively early flowering.

Plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of the parentselections primarily in flower coloration.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to the Helleborus nigercultivar HGC Jericho, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 10/878,420. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Glandorf,Germany, plants of the new Helleborus differed from plants of thecultivar HGC Jericho in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus were taller and broader than        plants of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus had longer leaf petioles than        plants of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus had smaller flowers than plants        of the cultivar HGC Jericho.    -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Helleborus and the cultivar HGC        Jericho differed in coloration as flowers of plants of the new        Helleborus had dark purple-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Helleborus.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘HGC Merlin’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical flower of ‘HGC Merlin’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurementsdescribe plants grown in Glandorf, Germany, in a glass-coveredgreenhouse and under commercial production practices during the winter.Plants were grown in 15-cm containers and were about six months old whenthe photographs and description were taken. During the production of theplants, day temperatures were about 18° C. and night temperatures wereabout 14° C. In the following description, color references are made toThe Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except wheregeneral terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus orientalis Hybrid cultivar HGC    Merlin.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—Unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis            Hybrid, not patented.        -   Male parent.—Unnamed seedling of Helleborus orientalis            Hybrid, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About eight weeks at 12° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted plant, winter.—About six months at            12 to 15° C.        -   Root description.—About 3 to 15 thick fleshy roots; not            branching; white to brown in color.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/habit.—Upright and mounded plant habit;            moderately vigorous growth habit. Leaves basal. Single            flower form.        -   Plant height.—About 20 cm.        -   Plant width (spread).—About 40 cm.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Basal; palmately compound            with five to seven leaflets per leaf. Leaflet length: About            6.5 to 9.5 cm. Leaflet width: About 2.5 to 5.5 cm. Leaflet            shape: Lanceolate; pedate. Leaflet apex: Broadly acuminate.            Leaflet base: Acute. Leaflet margin: Serrate. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Venation pattern:            Reticulate. Color: Developing leaflets, upper surface: 137A.            Developing leaflets, lower surface: Closest to 137C. Fully            expanded leaflets, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded            leaflets, lower surface: Closest to 147B. Venation, upper            surface: 146B to 146C. Venation, lower surface: 146C.            Petiole: Length: About 10 to 13 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,            upper and lower surfaces: 146B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type/habit.—Single rounded flowers arranged singly on            short peduncles; petals inconspicuous; flowers outwardly            drooping; typically more than one flowering stem per plant.            Freely flowering habit with about ten flowers developing per            plant over the flowering period.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Relatively early flowering;            intermittent flowering from November to February in            Glandorf, Germany. Flowers persistent.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Flowers last about ten days on the            plant.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 1.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.1 cm.            Shape: Ovoid. Color: Between 79A and 187A.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 5 cm. Depth: About 3 cm.        -   Petals.—Size: Minute, obscured by reproductive organs;            forming inconspicuous nectaries.        -   Sepals.—Quantity/arrangement per flower: Typically five in a            single whorl. Length: About 3.5 cm. Width: About 3.3 cm.            Shape: Broadly ovate. Apex: Broadly acute to rounded.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Color: Developing and fully expanded            sepals, upper surface: Between 79A and 187A. Developing and            fully expanded sepals, lower surface: Between 79A and 187A.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 3 to 5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Orientation: Straight to bent. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: 146C overlain with 187C.        -   Pedicels.—None.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About 18.            Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther            color: 155A. Pollen amount: None observed. Pistils: Quantity            per flower: About five. Pistil length: About 2 cm. Stigma            shape: Tuberculate. Stigma color: 145B. Style length: About            1 cm. Style color: 145B. Ovary color: 145A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Helleborus have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Helleborus.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been    observed to tolerate temperatures from −12 to 36° C.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant named ‘HGC Merlin’,as illustrated and described.